Commitments and Obligations
by mira ff
Summary: As designated heroes of Gaia, some of the members of AVALANCHE find themselves doing a favor for Rufus that could affect the whole planet. But this favor leads to more than just a safe world...Rated T because Cid is quite the potty mouth.
1. Chapter 1

**A/N: phew. I'm back after a longer-then-I-would-have-liked hiatus. My attempt at a story with a more action-y plot. Haven't worked out all the details yet (I'm barely halfway through part 2, ugh.), but I decided to post this just to establish interest?...or something  
**

**anyway, this is just the foundation for what is to come. don't expect any crazy drama (I just can't do that to them...not yet at least), but look forward to some eventual romance/indication of something like that. I love my fluff too much to totally ignore that genre XD**

**Disclaimer: again, FF7 isn't mine (well at least not the characters and plot. I do own a very, very old PS game and strategy guide though...)  
**

**enjoy!**

**

* * *

**

His hands rubbed the inner corners of his eyes, frustrated with the constant noise disrupting his sleep.

"CLOUD!"

The voice was young, sounding almost frightened. It made him turn over in his bed and finally drag the sheets off of his striped pants. His hand left his face and moved up to his hair, feebly trying to flatten out the contorted mess.

The noise persisted, "ehhh…Cloud!"

The blonde shifted through the large pile of dirty clothes on the floor, not exactly remembering which were clean and which weren't. He settled for an unstained white t-shirt that smelled like oil.

"Please come…Oh!" The little brunette smiled as the door to Cloud's room swung open. "There you are!" She gave him a cute smile and grabbed his hand, "Tifa left, and the phone won't stop ringing."

Cloud followed the little girl through the hall, "You can't answer it, Marlene?"

Marlene stopped. "I'm not allowed to, remember?"

_So I have to? _"Where's Denzel?"

"Shower…" The noise was getting closer. "Go, go Cloud! Maybe it's Tifa!"

_Hopefully it is. _ He didn't really feel like speaking to anyone else. Cloud grabbed the white portable phone on the bar counter, settling himself on one of the stools. He gave a light sigh and pressed the talk button. "Hello?"

"…Whoa Tifa, did you catch some kind of a cold?" The voice on the other end was a man's.

Cloud rolled his eyes when recognition came, "Reno, it's Cloud."

The Turk only laughed, "Ha yeah, I know! No way would Tifa ever sound that depressed. You actually answering your own phone now?"

"Are you actually calling for a good reason?"

"'Course! Business from President Shinra himself."

Cloud grunted, "Not interested."

"I don't get you Cloud. Saved the world so many times, and you can't even do one teeny favor for Rufus?"

The blonde scooted away from the counter, noticing Marlene's growing interest. "What does he want?"

"Ah, knew you'd agree."

"I'm not agreeing to anything yet." He lowered his voice, not wanting to provoke Marlene anymore, "What is it?"

"How about we set up a meeting with you and AVALANCHE?"

"Tifa's the only other one here."

Reno just chuckled, "We'll see who else we can get. Say at your place, around 2?"

His gaze went up to the clock, already displaying 1. _I need to stop sleeping so late_. "Fine." Cloud hung up, not waiting for another sneer Reno comment.

He turned to face the bar, his back no longer facing Marlene.

"Are you leaving again, Cloud?" Her eyes read desperation.

Cloud scratched his temple awkwardly, not really knowing how to deal with little girls---_any _girls. "No, Marlene. It was just Reno."

She didn't seem satisfied. Marlene grabbed his flannel covered pant leg. "We missed you so much… Denzel and me. And Tifa…"

"What, Marlene?" Tifa herself appeared at the front door, confused at Marlene's display of affection. Cloud noticed her bright smile as her gaze fell on his face. "You're finally up! Sorry I had to leave you alone with the kids for a while. Just needed to get something from the store."

He vaguely smiled back at his friend. "Reno's coming over at 2. He apparently needs to talk to us."

"Oh?" She placed the brown paper bag on the counter, Marlene rushing over to offer her help. "Just Reno?"

"Probably not." His Mako blue eyes fell back to the little girl. _Did I really hurt her so much when I left?_ The first time he met Marlene in the Midgar slums, she was afraid of him. His face focused on her brown braid, her pink bow—only bringing up another person he had disappointed.

_Don't…you can't think about that again. _ Cloud looked back up at Tifa, his face remembering how to smile. "He said he wanted to talk with AVALANCHE, about a favor."

"Favor? That doesn't sound good. The last favor you did for Reno involved the Remnants." Her light expression faded, "Well you better get changed. I'll make some food for them." She shifted through the bag, pulling out some cheese and crackers.

Cloud left Tifa and Marlene in the kitchen, only to be met with Denzel in the hallway. "Hey, Cloud!"

The older man ruffled Denzel's drying hair. "Little late for a shower."

"..Marlene spilled juice all over me. And you're still in your PJ's!" Denzel looked up at Cloud, glowing with admiration. He never really understood it himself, but Cloud was always a role model to the young boy, ever since he found him in Aerith's church. _He lost his father_. Cloud lacked any memories of his own dad, so he really didn't know what it would have been liked to loose one. _Maybe if I had a father figure in my life, I wouldn't be so screwed up._

"I'm getting dressed right now. Go help Tifa in the kitchen."

Denzel nodded, "Sure. I'll help clean up, but why?"

"The Turks are coming over."

"Oh…" Denzel paused, "Is Reeve coming?"

"Maybe? Why? You can't join the WRO, Denzel." Cloud shook his head at Denzel's ambition. _He's been through so much. He doesn't need to prove anything._ It half-reminded him of his own youth.

"I know…I just want to help out."

Cloud opened the door to his room, "Then help Tifa." The young boy nodded and left the hall.

The eternal grey clouds of Edge were slowly brightening his room. He kicked away old clothes and went to his dark dresser, rummaging through several plain looking outfits. He settled for his trademark blue sweater attire, and slowly slipped off his white shirt.

Cloud's forward motions stopped as he caught his image in the floor length mirror. He never really found the need to look at himself often-- his hair spiked on its own, and he could really care less about his clothes.

But this time, his reflection made his thoughts flicker. Gunshot wounds on his chest from SOLDIER, sword and magic scars from 2 years ago, and that one invisible mark that was now gone forever. Cloud slowly traced his upper arm, relishing in its pure white complexion. _No more…you can relax now. _He pulled off his pajama pants, replacing them with his black ones. Cloud left the shoulder armor off for now, figuring that Reno wouldn't be coming over to attack.

His return to the kitchen seemed to go unnoticed. Tifa was placing platters all along the bar counter, filled with crackers and other hors d'oeuvres. Denzel and Marlene were wiping tables fervently. "Think Papa will come, Tifa?"

"Maybe, Marlene. He is busy finding workers for the oil fields…but don't worry. He'll be back soon." She swiftly recovered, seeing the little girl's disappointed face. Her hand caressed the little girl's cheek, "Stay upstairs with Denzel when they get here, okay?"

Denzel was the one to protest, "But why?"

"I don't need a reason, Denzel. Just play in your room."

And that was where they were when the doorbell rang, revealing the red-headed Reno with his always stoic partner. Rude shifted his sunglasses, gesturing kindly to Tifa and Cloud.

"Nice, food!" Reno immediately went towards the counter. As always, his Turk uniform hung sloppily on his lanky form, and he smiled a tad goofily. "Seriously stuff's so great here. Too bad Rufus doesn't give us longer lunch breaks, eh Rude?"

Rude only sat down at one of the tables, unfazed by his partner's informal demeanor.

_Can we get this over with?_ "What's the favor?" Cloud glanced to Tifa, who was placing a pitcher of water in front of the red-haired Turk.

"Are there more people joining us?" Tifa set down some mugs.

"The ninja, Yuffie. She's coming with that pilot."

_Cid and Yuffie?_ "And my question?"

Reno held up his hands, taking a break from eating. "Now, now. We'll just wait for everyone to get here. That way I don't have to repeat myself, yo." He stretched his arms behind his back, becoming rather comfortable on the counter.

Tifa was busily handing out a cold drink to Rude, and Cloud stood by the stairs, a tad annoyed. "You said it was important."

The more restrained Turk nodded, "It is important."

"Then just tell us."

Tifa's hand touched his shoulder, "Cloud, it's okay. I'm sure Yuffie and Cid will get here soon. Sit."

He did, across from Rude, but the motion failed to relieve him of his edginess. The air was still with silence, Reno obnoxiously chewing, Tifa trying to conjure up more of the disappearing food, and Rude and Cloud incredibly reticent.

"So guys…" Reno apparently found it necessary to take a breather. "Haven't seen you for a couple of months."

It only earned a smile from Tifa and a glare from Cloud.

He tried a new strategy, "You know, Lockhart, Rude here used to have a crush on you."

…_what?_

The bald man immediately went red and looked away from the fighter in front of him. Cloud though, couldn't lower his gaze. "…You what?"

The statement seemed to catch the woman off guard. She hesitantly dropped a plate down and looked up, a little baffled "Oh look! I hear the _Shera_…be back!" Tifa rushed out of the bar.

Rude left his place at the table and joined his partner at the counter.

"Hey, hey!!!" Reno's hand immediately went to the back of his head, where Rude's fist made contact. "What was that for, yo?"

The bulky man huffed, "You're an idiot. You don't see me telling Elena in front of Tseng, do you?"

Reno kept rubbing his wounded scalp, "Tell Elena what?? Come, on Rude! Don't be like this. Not like Cloud over there cares."

Cloud's eyes glanced over from the door back to the Turk. _He really is an idiot._

_

* * *

_**A/N: end part 1. I know, I know, nothing special yet, but somethign interesting will arise! I swear! Reviews=one happy and addicted-to-fanfic author. especially because I'm using some new characters in this one. Love to know what you think :D  
**


	2. Chapter 2

**A/N: hey guys! I was very sad to see that I had about 0 reviews for the first part :(, but hey, I'll give you the benefit over the doubt and hope you review _this _one. They do make this writing thing a bazillion times more rewarding.**

**Anyway, this is the chapter where actual plot is established (oh my), though I will be clearing some loose ends later on.**

**It's from Cloud's POV again, just because I love him.**

**Disclaimer: I don't work/am affiliated with Square in any kind of way. So ff7 things aren't mine. **

**

* * *

  
**

The atmosphere briskly changed from stoic to exuberant as Yuffie Kisaragi made her way into the Seventh Heaven. Cloud eyed the ninja carefully; she hadn't changed a lot since their initial meeting in the forests by Junon. Oh sure, her shirt was black and no longer green, and she was _technically_ 2 years older, but Yuffie seemed to forever retain her childlike spirit.

He flinched as the young girl's hand grabbed his shoulder. "Hey chocobo head! What've you been up to?" Yuffie didn't wait for a response from the disgruntled Cloud. She shifted through the maze of tables and found herself next to Reno. "Oh man, Tifa made food. Move it, Turk!"

"Hey, hey!" Reno stood up and stepped away from the seemingly famished ninja. "Don't you want to hear what we've came for?"

_YES._

"Psh. I rather eat. The airship made me lose my lunch." She cracked a devious grin, ignoring the obvious disgust on everyone's faces. "So…" Yuffie shoved a handful of potato chips in her mouth, "…Whatomnomyouguysomnombeentalkin'bout?"

Rude straightened his lapel and calmly sat down, specifically not at Cloud's table. "Nothing, we've just got here."

His partner curtly nodded, "Mhm. Waiting for you and Highwind."

"Eh shut your ass up." The heavy boots of Cid Highwind fumbled on the hardwood floors of the bar. Cloud scoffed as the scent of heavy cigarettes swept through the air, only briefly muffled by the outside wind moving in from the door. Apparently Cid hadn't lost his penchant for that nasty habit.

"What the hell am I doing here anyway? You said it was AVALANCHE business, right?" He glanced to Cloud and Yuffie, "All I see here is Cloud and that little ass runt."

Yuffie gagged on her food, "Hey! At least I'm not some cranky old man!"

The pilot waved the girl off and walked up to the blonde, "Haven't seen you since the Remnant attack, Cloud. Been well? Got your sorry ass together?"

_Hopefully._

"I'm better now, thanks." His blue eyes shifted to the door, "Tifa _is_ still here, right?"

Cid rolled his eyes and sat on a bar stool, "Yeah, but you know those women. One moment they're making you some nice cup of tea and then the next, blah, blah, blah."

_Does that mean he brought Shera?_

Cloud's question was speedily answered by the return of Tifa and the rather mousy mechanic. A while back, when Cid was getting ready to become the first pilot to navigate space, Shera was his mechanic for the launch. She had saved Cid's life, unbeknownst to Cid himself, but prevented the launch from being completed. The space program soon disbanded, and Cid had blamed Shera for his lost dream.

_But now…_

Shera lived with Cid after that incident, feeling enormously guilty that she caused his dream to fail. But Cid soon found out about her action, and forgave her.

_He named his new airship after her. Weird._

"Shera!" Cid's gruff voice broke Cloud's thoughts quickly. "Come here and sit. I want this business over with. You and Teef can talk later."

The light brown haired girl made her way towards the counter, timidly placing herself next to Cid.

_And they have been living together for so long…_

Tifa swiftly followed her friend, but sat at the table with Cloud instead. _But that doesn't prove anything._._._ He flicked his neck back, a tad surprised with his thoughts. _Focus._ "Everyone's here now. What does Rufus want?"

The two Turks stood up and made their respective ways to the front of the bar. "We may have...disclosed some information from you guys a couple of months ago." Reno's grin looked awkwardly placed.

_Disclosed?_ Cloud's voice was rough. "What type of information?"

Rude spoke. "Information concerning Jenova."

The blonde's fist immediately tightened. _Jenova??_

"Jeez, that _again_?" Yuffie slipped off the stool, not looking at all amused. "Can't that thing just die and leave us all alone?"

_Apparently not. _ "Why didn't you tell us before? Why wait all these months?" Cloud's Mako eyes flickered with sheer frustration. _Will this ever be over?_ The warrior shook his head, thoughts drowning. _Can't we just rest? Can't we just live our lives?_

Reno held up his hands in mock defense. "Look now! How were we supposed to know there was more of it lying around? "

There was pure, unadulterated silence encompassing the room. Tifa glanced at Cloud hesitantly, making note of the utter sever in his eyes. Her right hand brushed his own, but he was too lost to focus, too dumbfounded to feel. _More?_

She spoke for him, "No, no. That can't be right." Her dark brown eyes were glaring at the Turks in front of her, almost piercing. "Cloud said Kadaj… he said Kadaj used Jenova to become Sephiroth. That it was the last of it…"

_It was_.

Tifa shook her head, "…it was over. It was supposed to be over, wasn't it?"

_Can it be over?_

"We were doing some check work, just to make sure. Kind of like inventory." Reno was ignoring the painful faces in front of him. "We had some of our best scientists on it, real top notch guys! No one crazy like Hojo…"

_Get on with it…_

"And they were going through the records. How many cells were used in the projects and all, accounting for the head Sephiroth stole, all that shit you fought 2 years ago, remember?"

_Damn it, of course we remember!_

Cid puffed more on his cigarette, intently trying to comprehend the situation. "You mean there's more of that bitch out there somewhere? Waiting for some other godforsaken remnant to come find it?"

The name was cold to Cloud's ears. _Jenova, Jenova…fuck! Why didn't she land somewhere else? Why the hell did it have to be here?!? _"You need us to find the rest." It came out surprisingly smooth.

"And destroy," Rude added. "We would try to track them down ourselves, but after what happened to Tseng and Elena…"

Reno only shrugged, "Rufus didn't want to risk losing us. We_ are_ kind of invaluable."

"And what are we?" The ninja crossed her arms, vehemently. "Disposable?"

The bald headed Turk shot Reno a quick glare, suppressing any snippy remark. "You all are certainly more capable than us. If there are any remaining Remnants around…" Rude paused and looked back to Cloud, "You'll find them."

_Better to say they'll find me._

"But that isn't likely…I mean, we don't _think _there should be any living Jenova forms around, besides, you know, the obvious." Reno was less articulate.

"Well that's one good thing." Tifa's voice resurfaced Cloud's attention. "This is just preventative then…right? Almost like a preemptive strike?"

Cloud smirked at her hopefulness, the shimmer of optimism implanted in her face. It made him feel stronger somehow. "Right. We'll just find the remaining parts. We won't have to deal with another Sephiroth."

His eyes caught a brief fidget in Tifa's complexion, but her smile soon returned. "Of course we will." Her fingers wrapped together, and she calmly regained full composure.

"We can take the airship, can't we Cid?" Shera broke her silence. "I'll help you navigate."

Cloud noticed the hesitation in Cid's eyes. "You wanna come, Shera?"

"Of course."

The older man shifted and blew out the smoke running from his throat. "…Like hell your coming! When are us AVALANCHE members going?"

"_Where_ is a better question, you chimney." Yuffie huffed and glanced back at the Turks. "Where are the pieces?"

"…we don't know." Reno chuckled, "Hehe, but you guys are real smart! You'll figure it out, yo." The Turk grabbed a napkin and slid out a small black pen from his suit pocket. "If you need us…" He scribbled down a line of numbers. "Just call. Update us if you find one and tell us how big it is."

_Hmph. So you can complete your inventory? _"…Sure." Cloud held out his hand, but recoiled back when Reno placed the napkin in front of Tifa instead.

The red headed Turk grabbed Rude's sleeve, dragging his partner towards the door. "Well, I guess we'll be seeing you! Get rid of that alien for good, 'kay?" He didn't wait for a response. Reno and Rude were soon gone, leaving the former heroes to think.

"They _must_ be kidding." Yuffie groaned and sat next to Tifa, her head slouched in her palms. "They seriously want us to just go around traveling across Gaia trying to find some left over body parts?"

The blonde scoffed, "It has to be done." Cloud's voice was solemn, almost weak. The thought of Jenova still _living_ somewhere was horrific.

"We can't let everything we fought for slip away, can we?" Tifa walked towards the hall. "I'll be back. I…need to talk to the children." The young woman left the front entrance, reluctantly retreating to the hall.

Shera shifted at her spot in the bar, furrowing her eyebrows together. "You really don't want me to come, Cid?

"No."

"But you need someone…"

"Fuck, Shera!" Cid's face turned dark red. "I can't put you in goddamn danger, you hear? You need to stay the hell away from anything related to Jenova."

"But Cid…"

The pilot then stood up. "I'll be in the airship. You kids come back when you're all set and ready." Cid muffled his cigarette in the nearby ash tray. "And that doesn't include you, Shera." The mechanic scooted up from her seat, and hurriedly sped to the hall, following Tifa's tracks. Cid grunted and then found himself stopping at the door. "Hey Brat!"

The cringe on Yuffie was livid.

"Come on! Leave Cloud and his not-so-significant other here, we'll wait for them in the _Shera_!"

The ninja pouted, "We're leaving _now_? To go where?"

"Let that be the pilot's business." His eyes crossed to Cloud, "We'll wait for you and Teef. Just hurry your spiky ass up."

Cloud nodded, "Right, I'll get Tifa." He walked away from the table, but soon found himself stopping.

"… _we won't have to deal with another Sephiroth."_

Her calm words flew around his thoughts. Cloud walked through the hall, soon finding himself outside of Denzel's and Marlene's room. There was Tifa, sitting on the bed, arms around a shivering Marlene. His Mako eyes rose from the hug to her face, then to Shera standing patiently next to her. Denzel simply sat on the opposite bed, a look of clear concern. They were all there. They were all okay. But his grip seemed to tighten as another thought occurred.

_But what if we do?_

_

* * *

_**A/N: oh my attempt at plot...XD**

**I've been good and updated the next day, but unlike my other story, this one's a real bitch to write. I could use all the encouragement I can get..*hintwinkwink***

**tell me what you think, if you have any questions, or...just wanna say hi--whatever**

**Meanwhile, I'll be racking my brain for more plot development.....**

**bye!  
~Mira  
**


	3. Chapter 3

**A/N: before I go into how absolutely positively horrible I am, I just want to say THANK YOU!! to all the people that reviewed/favorited this story! **

**Okay...and I'm sorry. so sorry. I kind of forgot that it was tech week for this play I was kind of directing, so all my free time vanished. But here it is! Part 3! And hopefully Part 4 will be up in a short while (maybe tomorrow?)**

**And I'll be sure to add more action and plot in further chapters (please bear with me even though I am a completely horrible person who plans to update like a week ago).**

**Disclaimer: FF still isn't mine. maybe i should get some lawyers....**

**

* * *

**

He only waved to Denzel and Marlene, feeling that any words he could offer to explain his absence would be meaningless. The two children looked back at the blonde hesitantly, eyes filled with more worry than the disdain he expected to see. Tifa stood up from the bed and gently rubbed Denzel's cheek. "You're the man of this house now, Denzel."

He seemed to perk up at her statement.

"You need to take care of Marlene and Shera while me and Cloud are gone. But we'll be back soon. And I'll call you two everyday, okay?"

Denzel's blue eyes narrowed, "Will Cloud call?"

The brunette in front of him gave a light grin, turning towards the door to acknowledge Cloud's presence. "I'll hit him if he doesn't." She grabbed his hand. "It'll be fine. I… love you two."

"We love you!" Marlene hopped up and took Denzel's hand away from her. "We'll be fine too!"

"Right." Tifa nodded to herself. She turned around and walked towards the door, giving her last goodbyes to Shera as well.

Cloud stepped back, allowing her presence to pass and then following her to the front.

"You could have said something back there instead of just standing in the doorframe." She was hurriedly looking through a drawer, bringing out a small box filled with materia.

His voice was low. "It's not that easy."

"They do love you, you know?" Tifa scoffed and pulled on her gloves from her pocket, "Here…take the lightning one." She tossed him a green marble sized orb. "I'll take ice and restore..."

Cloud walked over to her. _She's nervous_. He could tell be her face, her rushed actions, and loss of eye contact. Her hands were fumbling to place the materia in her gloves, making her seem incredibly unfocused. "Tifa…I'll just take the whole box."

"I'll take it." She closed it, fumbling with the locks for a good 30 seconds.

His voice got harder, "No…I will. You can stay here." _It's better if she does._ "You can stay in the bar, with the children.'

"What?" Her eyes immediately shot up.

_Was that the wrong thing to say?_ By the look of her face, the answer seemed to be undoubtedly yes. But Cloud couldn't understand why. Couldn't she see that she would be safer here? That he could concentrate better on Jenova if she was here?

"You can't ask that."

Cloud's eyes darkened. "What if I'm not asking?"

"You can't tell me that either." Tifa's face seemed twisted. "…I can't just sit here and expect you to just come back having everything perfectly okay. I can't just wait for you, Cloud." Her voice was edged with frustration. She grabbed the container of materia and looked back at his face, daggers shooting from her eyes. "Cid's waiting; he's waiting for _us_." The brunette flew from the room, leaving Cloud flurried with confusion.

The heavy steps of Tifa Lockhart must have tipped Cid off on her current mood. The pilot eased the cigarette out of his mouth, extinguishing it in a nearby ash tray. "Where's Cloud?"

Tifa tried to retain her frustration, "Coming."

The blonde was quick to follow. Cloud made his way up to main bridge of the _Shera_, eyes focused on his fellow companions. The First Tsurugi was slung sloppily on his back. Cloud inched his way in Tifa's direction, but recoiled back at her slight look of indignation. _This is unlike her._ Tifa never held any type of grudge, especially at him. _And about what exactly?_ _Me wanting to keep her safe?_ His attention veered to the pilot, who was making his way to the _Shera's_ controls. "Where are you taking us, Cid?"

The older man grunted, placing a newly lit cigarette into his unshaven mouth. "You know Shera said it might be bad to smoke on this thing! Ha!" He coolly let loose a string of smoke, making the younger blonde cringe next to him. "You said what now, Cloud? Where're we going?"

"Yeah, the Turks were pretty vague."

"Stupid Reno. Stupid Rude." Yuffie crossed her arms and shifted herself towards the two men, leaving Tifa to wander through the back corridors of the ship. "They always act like we're not good fighters, and now that they need us to do _their_ dirty work, we're suddenly the best ever! Why can't Rufus do his own dirty work?" She slumped down on the floor, and then shifted through her pockets.

Cloud eyed her curiously, "What are you doing?" His blue eyes twitched back to his and Tifa's materia box, but it seemed to be untouched. _That's a first_.

"Vinnie bought me this medicine after Reeve sent us on a mission together." Yuffie's face gleamed as she pulled out a light blue pill. "…I guess he didn't really appreciate it when I barfed all over his pointed boots, but I don't anymore! I only feel a _little_ nauseous." She popped the pill easily and eased herself back up. "So where we headed, old man?"

"We need to figure out this weird shit, don't we?" Cid peered back at the two of them and then grabbed the ship's wheel. "And what do we do when we need to figure out crazy shit? We go to Cosmo Canyon."

Cloud turned away from the ninja and pilot, confident that Nanaki would know what to do or at least offer a plausible suggestion. _He'll at least offer some direction. Some focus. _The blonde looked around the bridge of the ship. _Tifa?_ His footsteps clanked across the metalwork floor, following the path of his friend.

She was soon found in the back, by one of the compact, makeshift bedrooms. Her gloved hands traced the inner fabrics of the bed sheets, eyes following every move.

Cloud admitted that a part of him wasn't anxious to approach the seemingly distraught woman. But despite any trepidation, he found himself edging his way next to her. "You're upset with me."

Tifa shook her head, "No."

_Lie. _"Then what's wrong?"

Her dark brown eyes only looked up briefly. "Let's not get into this now." She shifted back up from the bed. "…It's, it's not the right time, Cloud. We have so much to worry about now. The last thing you should be thinking about is me." Her light smiled distracted his mood. "Come on." Tifa lifted her hand to grab his, but thought better of it. The brunette vanished from the room and back to the bridge.

* * *

**A/N:**

**Now I know I'm horrible and don't update, but hey, tech week is no more, and I do plan on updating again! Reviews actually do motivate me (even though I'm sure it hasn't seem that way :/) Let me know how I'm doing!**

**~the totally awful Mira  
**


	4. Chapter 4

**A/N: I'm saving the note for the end. Hell knows you've waited long enough.**

**Disclaimer: I'll hire lawyers one day, but until then, FFVII ain't mine.**

**

* * *

  
**

Cid's piloting was still fast. Still mildly dangerous, yet skillful nevertheless. The sea between the two continents suddenly sprang into the airship's vision, sea spray flying as the _Shera _glided closely above. The cavernous edges of Cosmo Canyon sprung up passed the shoreline, causing the _Shera_ to decrease in speed.

The airship landed easily on the rocky terrain. Yuffie's medicine appeared to be working, making Cloud a little envious. He kept himself moving for he was never completely over his motion sickness. _We've landed though. Through the worst…at least of the flying._

Cloud's black boots lifted the dry dirt from the ground as he swiftly jumped from the open airship's ledge. The area around him was still, as Cosmo canyon usually was. Yuffie's light steps danced behind him. Her eagerness was already encroaching on his nerves. "Red!" The ninja pranced her way through the town's gates. "RED!"

"He's probably in his grandfather's study." Tifa led the way. "Let's go check." She idly passed Cloud on her way through the village, not giving him a single look or even the faintest indication that she noticed his existence.

_Still? _Cloud somberly followed behind, ignoring the puffs of smoke leaking from Cid's mouth.

"Red better know something." Cid let loose another giant blow. "Hell if I'm wasting anymore time." He dropped the remainder of his cigarette on the ground and trampled the small flame with his boot. "Up we go."

Cloud nimbly climbed the ladder, the pilot saying random curse words behind him. Cosmo Canyon still retained its sense of isolation, of mystery. There was still the large fire pit in the center and the elders ready to relay any tidbits of knowledge. The observatory at the top if the canyon was a familiar sight to Cloud. He remembered first meeting Bugenhagen and his explanation of the Lifestream. That information was forever engraved in his mind. "Nanaki?" His voice echoed through the house.

Tifa and Yuffie were placed on the soft couch in the sitting area. Soon enough, 2 pairs of steps came trampling down the stairs. "Oh, is it?" The smooth voice of their familiar friend approached. "It is!" Nanaki's face gained certain lightness as he appeared in the room. "And what could possibly bring you all here? Unannounced too."

The martial artist stood up at his entrance, "We need your help, Nanaki. Rufus gave us a, uh, mission, but we don't really know where to begin."

"I'll gladly assist you if I can."

Cloud moved closer to his four-legged friend, "They want us to find the remaining parts of Jenova."

Red's eyes widened, "…excuse me? The remaining parts?"

"Yeah, yeah. Apparently, Rufus and his gang just figured out that there may actually be more of that thing around." Yuffie stretched out casually on the couch, too used to the information to become wiled again. "So, Red, do you have some advice?"

He sat on his hind legs, his tail dazzlingly swaying. "Cloud, I do believe you said that in the Nibelheim reactor, Sephiroth took Jenova, yes?"

Cloud only nodded in response.

"And if my memory serves, Sephiroth did …attack us with several Jenova parts, and the remnants had Jenova's head." Red got up and began pacing throughout the small room. "Grandfather would know…" The red figure shook his little head, trying to focus. His paws dug into the carpet, the anxiety clear in his stride. "It would make sense for the remaining 'pieces' to be where Sephiroth was after that incident."

"…but he fell…Cloud pushed him into the reactor." Tifa looked back at the blonde for a brief moment before returning her attention to Red. "Unless you mean to when we were chasing him? He did have Jenova on the ship to Costa del Sol…and other places. You want us to retrace our steps from 2 years ago?"

Red returned to his seated position, "Not completely. He wasn't here…or in Wutai, right Yuffie? And definitely not in Gold Saucer."

The answer became clear to Cloud soon enough. The word felt dry on his lips, his mind shifting from peaceful to chaotic with the never ending flash of memory. "Nibelheim." He turned to Tifa, who actually returned the stare. "It makes sense, doesn't it? Jenova was stored there by Shinra for so long."

"Then we should check Midgar too, the old Shinra building. Some of it may be left there." Tifa cracked her knuckles. "I haven't seen Nibelheim for 2 years, Cloud."

The blonde was hesitant to respond, too encompassed with his own past memories of the village.

"A good start I would say. It seems like you did not really need my assistance." Red smiled slightly and whisked his tail to the front of his face. "I'll be happy to accompany you. Just let me…"

Cloud interrupted, "Really, Nanaki. You're running this whole town. You have enough to worry about."

Red narrowed his yellow eyes, "If you do not mind me saying, Yuffie is looking after a whole_ country_."

"Not yet!" the ninja was quick to retaliate. "And besides, I'm working with the WRO for the moment. We can handle it fine, Red!" Yuffie patted his head, a sheer smile on her face. "Don't worry that little flame tail of yours!"

Tifa was less condescending, "We'll call you on the PHS, worse comes to worse. But there won't be another Sephiroth to worry about." Her grin brightened the room, "We should get going though. Thanks for the direction, Nanaki."

The AVALANCHE members one by one receded from Cosmo Canyon and back on to the airship. Cid immediately ignited another cigarette as the vehicle took off to the skies, "To Nibelheim then, you sure Strife?"

"Absolutely." The young blonde soon found himself exhausted. He ventured downstairs in the back rooms of the _Shera_, where rows of black leather chairs were waiting for his repose. Cloud settled himself down into the seat.

_Never ending, isn't it?_

"I wouldn't say that."

The exact voice caught him off balance. The tumultuous waves of sky caused the strong warrior to fall of the edge of his seat, quite literally. His blue eyes glanced at the figure in front of him, stricken with disbelief. "…Aerith."

The feminine figure laughed at his position, "And what are you doing? Get up Cloud!"

But he couldn't. His knees wouldn't let him. Oh sure, he had seen Aerith like this after she had passed on, but never since that day at the church a couple of months ago. Yet there should stood in front of him, a perpetual smile on her light face. Her body did not seem spirit like in the least. It looked like Aerith two years ago, whe she was alive. "…You surprised me."

"I could say the same for you." The flower girl knelt down to his level. "Silly, Cloud. You're really worked up over this, aren't you?"

Cloud got up with the use of the word 'silly'. _Why shouldn't I?_

"I know Jenova cells are still out there, but please. You have to stop worrying."

"How can I do that when people can read my mind?"

His slight, dry humor took Aerith a tad off guard. "See? That's the Cloud I want to see!" Aerith paced a bit through the room, eyeing the man curiously. "You should know this isn't your task to take up, Cloud."

Cloud didn't seem to hear. He was too focused on another issue, "Aerith, why are you here?"

"To make sure you don't feel burdened again." She stated bluntly. "You're strong."

Soft footsteps were approaching the hall, making Cloud's head turn. Aerith stayed put, unfazed. They were getting closer with each moment, and Cloud half expected Aerith to fade back into the air. "I know that."

"Cloud?" The footsteps reached the door, and the person outside threatened to come in. The metal doors of the _Shera_ slowly rose, revealing Tifa in their wake. "Cloud? I brought you materia." She was standing right behind Aerith, but her eyes seemed to be only focused on the blonde. "Here…I had to fight Yuffie for most of these." She moved forward, oblivious to the flower girl who calmly moved aside.

Aerith gave a slight smile, turning her focus to Tifa and then back to Cloud. "Let her know." And with that, she was gone.

* * *

**A/N:**

**ok I know. It ws delayed (immensely), it was short, and not that good. wow. I'm having such a hard time with this story for some reason, which is weird, because I have a semi-good idea of what I want out of it. :/ roar. I will persist. It's Spring Break, so I'm hoping to get another chapter out, but gosh, I seriously killed my updating reputation :/**

**Sorry guys. I could apologize more, but I think going back to writing will be more beneficial**

**Until...soon, hopefully**

**~Mira  
**


	5. Chapter 5

**A/N**

**I think I'm bipolar. This chapter is a monster and yet I wrote it in a day...huh. Anyway, thanks to LOstGirlz for dishing out some extreme motivation. Cookies for me? How about a treasure chest filled with chocolate for you! (unless you don't like it...then maybe jelly beans or something). **

**I actually like this chapter too! But I hope you enjoy it :D**

**Disclaimer: Still not mine. Only worthless plot is XD**

**

* * *

  
**

_We should have landed on the mountain._ Cloud eyed the village with uncertainty. _We should have landed closer to the reactor._ The memories of what really happened flowed steadily through his Mako-infused mind.

_White flash._

His friend Zack was running out of the hotel and towards him. He was on the ground for some reason, helmet askew. The heat of the flames surrounding him was making his forehead plastered with perspiration.

_Another flash.  
_

He found himself struggling to stand when the realization suddenly struck him. Zack was running to a house, Tifa's martial arts instructor to another. He recognized the house to be his own…his heart dropped when he saw Zack's head shake, a feeble attempt at an apology. _Mom…_

The memory was harsh. Cloud shook his head, bringing him back to face a stream of smoke fuming from Cid's mouth. "Welcome home, Tifa, Cloud," The pilot said gingerly, kicking a pebble from the path and eyeing the flower boxes in the windows.

"It's not our home." Tifa looked down. She walked swiftly up towards the town center, the little ninja trailing behind in curiosity and concern.

_Flash.  
_

His heart suddenly pumped with extreme force when his blue eyes caught the sight of his next door neighbor's house. His hand slipped to the side where he found the elixir Zack had given him. The cool liquid furiously swam down his throat, lightening his pain. "TIFA!" His voice was the only other noise besides the crackling of flame. The door to her house was knocked down, giving Cloud a clear shot into her living room. He fumbled through the fallen roof towards the stairs, noting there were no bodies on the lower floor. "TIFA!" His voice fell flat as he felt the ash falling on his blonde hair, adulterating his exterior.

Boots fell hard on the ground at the sight of the upper level. There were no bodies. His mind was lessened in fear. No bodies meant she wasn't here. No bodies meant she could be alive. _Then where is she?_

"The reactor."

Cid's gruff voice awoke Cloud from his thoughts. "All the way up that mountain, eh?"

"Yes." Cloud's voice was sullen from the memory, making Cid look back to him in sheer annoyance.

"Listen, Strife. I'm not dealing with some fucking angsty boy on this trip. You're the goddamn leader here."

Cloud easily stared back. It wasn't the present he was concerned with. He was perfectly fine now. The past events just had away at grabbing him, as it did the rest of his friends. "…It's nothing. I'm fine now."

His cigarette fell to the ground, "Hmph. Good." Cid trailed off towards the inner center of the town, the mountain looming in the distance.

_White flash._

The mountain trail was shorter for some reason. Maybe it was because he had just done it the day before. Or maybe it was the sheer adrenaline pumping through his heart. He had no Mako then, right? He couldn't remember exactly. Was he working with his own pure strength, his own drive? The thought seemed unreasonable to him now, but his memory continued.

The reactor was soon positioned in front of him. He had never been inside. Cloud wanted to, of course. He had lived in this town most of his life, and now as a pubescent 16 year old boy, the excitement of finally venturing into the Shinra construction was even more tantalizing. But he had to watch Tifa the day before, which, he had to admit, wasn't _completely_ a misfortune.

It had a different appeal now, one more frightening and violent than pure curiosity. The fact that he wasn't afraid confused him. Cloud didn't hesitate to run up the stairs and through the reactor pipelines. He crawled down the chain effortlessly; only pausing at the body sprawled out in front of him.

"Took you long enough, chocobo head." Yuffie's hands were on her hips, her foot tapping in an impatient rhythm. "Here we are waiting in front of spooky Shinra mansion for ya!"

Cloud ignored her outbursts and looked up to the mountain trail. He saw Tifa starting to walk already, the path all too familiar to her.

"I can't understand how Vince could live in there for 30 years. The place gives me the creeps!"

"Vincent himself is creepy," Cid huffed. This earned a sharp look from the ninja, who swiftly ignored any of the pilot's further comments. She grabbed Cloud's hand, and started to sprint up the path and closer to the martial artist. "I imagine you guys played up here all the time!" Yuffie held Cloud's hand harshly and raised it up. "Like me back in Wutai!" She had a weird gleam in her face, the hyperactivity taking over.

Yuffie dragged Cloud up the path, more towards the edge of the trail. Tifa watched on. "I bet Teef here was all like, 'Oh Cloud! Save me from the evil beast on top of the mountain!' And then chocobo boy was like, 'Tifa! I can't! I'm too busy hiding my feelings from you!'" Yuffie grinned at her play. She grabbed Cloud's other hand and made a dramatic pose, "'Oh, but Cloud! I'm hiding my own feelings!'"

Tifa turned away awkwardly at her words, but Cloud continued to stare back at her in confusion. "…we didn't really play as children."

"SHH!" Yuffie snapped at him. " 'Tifa? Are you sure?'" Her voice was lowered, mocking the blonde. " 'Of course! But if you won't help me fight this evil beast then I'll just have to do it myself.' " She was still holding on to the blonde's hand as she faked Tifa's fighting stance. "Teef, I can't see how you can kick so high. I mean, you aren't that tall… Let me see."

She moved away, dragging Cloud with her. Yuffie lifted her leg into the air and pushed it forward causing an extreme backward force. Her left side footing collapsed, and her light body wobbled backward. "AHH!" The ninja fell off the trail, her small frame dangling forcefully from the edge.

_SHIT._

"CLOUD!" He was her only connection to the trail. Her fingers were now linked with the blonde's, scratching at his knuckles for recovery. "I SWEAR CLOUD, GET ME UP!"

The shouts yielded a response from Tifa, who hurriedly came back towards the edge, "Yuffie!"

"CHOCOBO HEAD! CAN YOU HEAR ME???" Cloud's head was turned to the friend next him. "PULL ME UP! USE THAT MAKO SHIT!"

Cid was now rushing up, "Shit, runt. How'd you get in that trouble?"

"DON'T JUST STAND THERE!" Her free arm was flapping aimlessly, "CLOUUUDDD!"

His head was still focused towards the woman next to him, whose own attention was faced downward. The effort to pull her up was minuscule, but he was delaying. He had to make a point. Not only for himself, but for _her_. "I can do it now."

"THEN DO IT!" Yuffie's grip was slipping slightly, but Cloud swiftly grabbed her other hand in a moment.

His voice was soft in the breeze, and he watched calmly as Tifa's dark hair flew passed her shoulders. "I can do it," he repeated, earning a look from the girl next to him. Tifa looked confused as the blonde looked back to Yuffie, "I can save you now." He dragged up the young ninja easily, no strain or worry on his face.

"WHAT WAS THAT ABOUT!" Yuffie unhooked her shuriken and held it up, "WHY I OUTTA JUST THROW THIS AT YOUR DUMB FACE…you…you MEANIE!"

Tifa just grunted as the old phrase came to mind, "Dilly dally, shilly shally." She gave Yuffie a tight hug, calming the ninja down. "We all know Cloud's a procrastinator. But…" She eyed the blonde over Yuffie's shoulder, "He does come through in the end. We know he always does and always will."

"Yeah, yeah…just next time I'm hanging towards my _death_ just hasten things up a bit, will you?" Yuffie let go of her friend and made her way up the trail. Tifa followed suit.

Cid was lighting another cigarette, "Yeah, will you Strife?"

"Huh?" He turned to face the pilot.

"Yuffie's immature, but she ain't stupid. And we all know Tifa's a freaking saint, but there's only so much time a girl will wait for ya."

The air around Cloud was getting warm again, "Did Shera tell you that?"

The statement hit a nerve in the pilot, "Fuck, Cloud. That's none of your business!" Cid shook of his brief annoyance, "…you think it's the same?"

"You think I know anything about relationships?" It was a sad statement, but horribly true. Cloud eyed the path with a certain eagerness. "I just know that Jenova's out there, Cid. It can wait…a little longer anyway."

Cid grunted, "Yeah…I know. It just gets you. Damn that Shera."

The reactor was facing him again. It seemed like decades, which couldn't be possiebl because he was only 23. It stood in looming glory in front of the four adventurers. Yuffie and Cid walked in first, leaving Cloud and Tifa in a blank state.

"I'm ready." Tifa looked to the side towards the blonde. "Come on."

_Flash._

Cloud's hands numbly fell down. _Mr. Lockhart…_ His body was haphazardly on the ground, blood still fresh. He stepped over the body somberly, focusing on the room in front.

"TIFA!" There she was, lying on her side, holding on to her stomach. _Fuck._ "Tifa?" Cloud ran up to the fallen girl, and gently caressed her shoulder, "Can you hear me?" Her eyes were closed, causing his heart to slow. But the steady rise and fall of her chest gave him new hope. Cloud gently picked her up and sat her down in front of a Mako tank.

The movement made her eyes flicker, "…you said you'd come…you'd come and save me."

Cloud nodded and saw Zack also on the ground, higher up on the stairs. His eyes then caught a gleam of silver, as a tall figure languidly moved through the entrance above.

"J-E-N-O-V-A. Pretty obvious what was in there, eh?" Yuffie swiftly climbed up the steps. "Guess it's time to check our tracks." The ninja made her way through the upper door followed closely by her other companions.

The blue tank was shattered from past events. No more fluid was left, no sign of any unearthly being present. "Well, now what?" Yuffie was on the floor, looking for any sign of a decaying body part. The young ninja then jumped up as an exuberant ring tone filled the dark room. "Hello?...VINNIE!" Her smile was too large to measure, "YOU'RE CALLING ME! …eh? Hold on, I'm putting you on speaker." Yuffie clicked a button and held her phone out triumphantly.

"Yuffie, that is unnecessary," Vincent's deep voice was soon heard.

Yuffie laughed, "Of course it was necessary. I needed proof that for once _you_ called me. You actually called me!"

"…I knew you would pick up."

The ninja was practically gleaming from the expressions on her friends' faces. Cid blew out smoke, a tad confused. "And why ya calling, Valentine?"

"Reeve told me you're working for Rufus. Collecting the remaining Jenova parts?"

"Yup! Sure are! I wish you could come, Vince! Why aren't you here?"

There was a slight pause, "Where is here?"

"Nibelheim Reactor," Cloud shouted.

"I shall join you later on…where are you headed next?"

Tifa was the one who responded, "I think Midgar. To check the old Shinra facility."

"I'll be there." The statement made Yuffie give a small squeal. "I needed to call you though, in case you found any Jenova parts."

"Oh?" Yuffie's voice was singsong, "What if we do, Vinnie?"

The dark man's sigh was audible over the phone, "Just don't destroy it."

_Huh? Why not? Isn't that what we were set out to do? Destroy Jenova?_

"I'll explain in Midgar. Just trust me."

Yuffie turned speaker off, "Bye Vince! Safe journey to Midgar from wherever you are! Hey, where are…" Yuffie frowned and closed the phone. "He always hangs up on me."

The young blonde ignored her and lowered his eyes to the ground, then up to the ceiling. They caught sight of nothing. "There's nothing here." _Only bad memories. _He turned back and walked down the stairs. _Only metal and Mako tanks._

_Mako tanks?_

He remembered…Zack's memory. Or maybe it was what Zack told him? The frosted covered glass, the bubbling liquid Mako, …the face. "Of course." Cloud ran down the steps. All the other tanks were empty, only filled with fluid. His gloved hand went to the handle of the tank from the memory and pulled. Light blue Mako flowed steadily out, drenching the floor and his boots.

"What are you doing?" Tifa asked, only concerned.

"It's here. The Jenova cells." The Mako fluid stopped flowing out, revealing a withered hunch over body. "…When Sephiroth was here and Zack, there was a monster in here. But I think Hojo shut down the project awhile ago, yet here this thing remains." Cloud bent down to the withered body. _A member of SOLDIER, right? _He shook his head. "They probably forgot about him or this one went unchecked."

Yuffie scampered over. "Yuck…ugh, you can carry it, Cloud." She grimaced and stepped back. Tifa and Cid didn't even bother to make the offer.

They went back down the path, no more incidents involved. The Mako monster was slung over Cloud's shoulder as he approached Nibelheim's center. He was grateful to leave, even with the Jenova victim on his back and not destroyed. The town was stuck in pure silence. Cloud blocked further memories, the burning buildings, the shrieks of horror as he lay on the pavement. Tifa's body on the ground of the reactor…

His blue eyes fell on the structure in front of him.

_Flash._

"Hey, why don't we make a promise?"

His feet were dangling from the edge of the well nervously. The girl in the blue dress next to him was glowing in the starlight, smiling frantically and staring at him. Cloud smirked at his hair. It was still spiked and all over, but longer, much longer. He then remembered that day at Shinra, when his ponytail was sliced off. _I can't believe I was so nervous._

Even in the dark he could see the red in his cheeks. He was so excited about meeting Tifa and was frightened when she came late. _I thought she forgot._ But she didn't. She came in a beautiful dress, a little confused, but happy. _She looked so happy…_

And Cloud was even happier when Tifa asked for that promise. That's why he was leaving, wasn't he? So he could impress her, so he could protect her.

"Cloud?" present Tifa was staring him in the face. Her hair was shorter, and her eyes were darker with concern and jaded innocence. "I'll help you." Tifa helped lower the Jenova creature down onto the airship's floor. "I'll call Reno too, okay? Tell him we're on our way to Midgar." The expression on Cloud's face caused her to smile, "We did great. I doubt there is much more left." Her gloved hand rubbed his shoulder a little harshly, "Hey, I'm sorry for what I said. I'm sorry I got so mad back in Edge."

Cloud shook his head, "It's fine."

"Just try to understand why, Cloud…though I know you only wanted to protect me." Tifa removed her hand from his arm and walked away slowly.

_Flash._

"Umm, if you get really famous and I'm ever in a bind…You come save me, alright?"

…

"Alright…I promise."

* * *

**A/N**

**I'll get started on the next part! Ah I'm actually excited again! Thanks for reading! And remember I welcome reviews! (love them actually :D)**

**bye all!**

**~Mira  
**


	6. Chapter 6

**A/N:**

** Just a nice thank you to my oh so lovely reviewers: always-kh, LOstGirlz, vx-Luna-xv, and kitsune13. Love you more beyond belief. here ya go! **

**Disclaimer: not mine, don't sue.  
**

**

* * *

  
**

"Hey, Reno? Yeah, it's Tifa…No…NO!" Tifa sighed at her cell phone and graciously passed it to the man next to her.

"…So I was just saying that you could just take a break from the bar and go out on a little…"

"It's Cloud."

Cloud heard a loud squeal from the other side. "Oh! Cloud, you know I was only kidding, man…"

"We found a part of Jenova."

The Turk's mood swiftly switched gears, "You did? Great! How much exactly?"

Cloud paused, "It was one of Hojo's experiments in the Nibelheim reactor."

"Hm…check! Got it! Knew you guys would come through! Now only some left. Did you destroy it?"

The blonde paused for a moment, wondering if a lie would be a better alternative, "…No, Vincent said otherwise."

"And you take his word over ours?" Reno stammered.

"Yes." _That was a dumb question_. "We're headed to Midgar now to check the old Shinra building."

"Oh? Need assistance…"

Cloud flipped the phone down and walked back towards Tifa. The airship was hovering slowly now over the remnants of the former largest city in Gaia, looking for a place to land amongst the rubble. Cid managed to maneuver downwards right in front of the former skyscraper of the Shinra building.

Yuffie was the first off the _Shera_. The ninja ran up towards the fallen building and immediately pouted. "He's not here."

"Who?" Tifa walked up to the ninja, "Oh! He's coming Yuffs. Why so excited?"

The other girl didn't turn, but only walked forward to the wreckage. Cloud himself slowly ventured off the airship, gazing at the debris. The front entrance, though slightly demolished, was still functioning properly as a gate to the former wealthy Shinra Electric Company. "I doubt the elevators are still working." Cloud grimly stepped into the now dark grey lobby. His boots grazed the stony ash, still untouched from the explosion 2 years ago. It was piled up on the floor in sheets.

In the far center of the lobby stood 2 sets of stairs that led to the upper floors. He climbed them easily enough, avoiding the cracked areas and missing fragments of steps. Tifa trailed behind him, her hands releasing from the banister every so often. "No elevator, huh?" She overtook Cloud's lead and approached the silver elevator at the top of the stairs. The blue light above was shining, making it seem perfectly functional.

Cloud was still wary, "But do you think it's safe?"

"Hell if I'm going any other way." Cid pressed the up button, and the elevator soon arrived. They all scrunched into the small space, Yuffie last. She hunched her shoulders sharply and took a large intake of breath. _She okay?_

The thought was soon answered as the metal doors slowly slid open to reveal a dark figure on the other side. "VINNIE!" The ninja popped off the elevator hatch and towards the red caped man. "I thought you lied when you said you'd meet us in Midgar!" Seeing that this wouldn't give her any response, Yuffie continued, "Did you find anything?"

Vincent's dark hair fell in front of his face, "Nothing of our interest." His cape flew back as he turned his back to face his friends, "Come." They followed the rapidly moving man to the edge of the hallway. His claw covered hand grazed a seemingly blank wall, "There's something behind here, an elevator or something."

"Then what are you waiting for, Vince? Let's go!" Yuffie hopped up and scrambled forward, lifting her shuriken at the seemingly solid white wall.

Her forward motion paused at Vincent's touch on her wrist, "No, Yuffie…that's not what we're looking for." Vincent slid away. "Not yet at least. We need to go up to Hojo's old lab."

Tifa led them through the hallway, "There was another elevator, but I think we need a key card." She brought them to the spot, which in fact did have security measures. The martial artist crossed her arms and stared at the door harshly, "…I don't think there is any other way to get in, and there's not going to be any key cards just lying around."

"Ah, Come on, Teef! We just need to make a dent in it!" Yuffie lowered her shuriken and aimed it at the control panel of the elevator. "Just one little…"

"Stop." His voice was calm and soft, but easily dissuaded Yuffie from further action. Vincent maneuvered his way to be in front of the elevator security control. "The Turks had access codes for practically everywhere in Shinra Manufacturing."

"Eh? And what good is that?" Cid blinked and then hit his head at the realization and Vincent's knowing look, "Then what are you waiting for? Go and plug in the password!"

Vincent hesitated, "Hojo made his own password though. A mistake could potentially lead to an extreme security breach."

"yeah, yeah. Like some SOLDIERS are gonna pop from underground and attack." Yuffie scoffed at the mere suggestion. "And even if there were any SOLDIERs left, we could take them, Vinnie! Just go!"

His red eyes darted to her direction briefly and then turned to the key pad. One button pressed produced a holographic screen above the security panel. "SOLDIERs wouldn't be the only thing." Another button pressed, and the password notice came on the screen. "Knowing Hojo, probably a total system malfunction."

_Then you better not mess up._

A computerized voice echoed from the panel, "Override keycard access?"

Vincent hit yes.

"Please enter pass code."

The dark haired man seemed to think for a second before plugging in the 8-letter code name. The screen shifted to a loading page, only increasing the slight tension. Yuffie jolted with anxiety as the screen flashed white, either indicating accuracy or a complete shut down.

Her expression relieved when a soft chime sounded. "Pass code accepted." The result was the opening of the elevator doors.

"If I may ask, what was the code?" Tifa stepped into the elevator, questioning the former Turk curiously.

Vincent didn't seem too compelled to answer, but obliged. "It was crescent."

"Oh." Tifa's smile became nervous. She shifted to a far corner, next to Cloud. _Of course it was._ The air became immediately awkward, despite the deep connections between the five people.

The exact nature of Vincent's…life was basically unknown to AVALANCHE. His past history rivaled Cloud's in confusion and miserable circumstances. But he never talked much about it, and Cloud didn't blame him. _Maybe one day._ He smirked at the sight of the little ninja, tugging at Vincent's cloak and managing to swipe his gun from the holster without his notice. _He'll open up._

The 5 slowly walked out to the next level and into Hojo's lab. He remembered being confused here, when he first found Red and how Aerith looked like a trapped laboratory experiment. "It was here." Cloud hovered over to the far right corner, where a metal tank was situated.

Slight sparks were glistening from the formerly pristine metal container. The door had been ripped open by the infamous Sephiroth, leaving a rather large puddle of Mako fluid and only a small entrance way.

Yuffie caught the intention of the men's stares, "No way…I volunteered to kick Jenova butt, not crawl into Mako gunk."

"I can't fit," Cloud shrugged. He placed a hand on the outer opening. "But we need to check it."

"…Ugh, no!" The ninja cooed and frantically went behind the caped man. "Don't make me do it, Vince!"

Tifa stepped forward, "I'll go in."

Yuffie peeked behind Vincent, who looked overly exasperated. "…you sure, Teef? You aren't too, um, big on…"

"You rather go in, Yuffie?" Tifa was slightly flushed. "I don't mind a puddle of Mako. Not like I've never done anything worse." She picked up her foot and stepped over the metal exterior and into the gooey debris. She barely fit with her height and size. "What am I looking for?" Her hands went into the liquid, rummaging through the puddle.

Something snapped in Cloud's intuition. "Tifa." Her small frame was looked crushed in the former Jenova hold. "Tifa, hurry up." He watched her fall on her knees and continue to search for any remaining piece of the alien.

"I am hurrying." Her palms and legs were soaked with liquid. "Oh wait, I think I…" Tifa's voice died off as another spark flew from the tank. The shining wave fell from the loose wires and into the liquid ground. Her body became rigid from the sudden shock, falling forcefully inside the tank.

Cloud immediately sprang forward. _SHIT. _"Tifa!" Her body was lifeless on the ground from the electrical current. Cloud's eyes narrowed with horror. She was scrunched in the space, her head hitting the metal wall before the ground. His boot was halfway in before he felt the golden claw grab his shoulder.

"Wait."

"WAIT?" Cloud turned viscously to face Vincent, but then back to Tifa. She wasn't breathing.

Vincent noticed the distress and held tighter. "For the sparks to stop. Wait."

The blonde forced his anxiety into his chest and waited for the sparks to stop flying. The moment the flashes were gone, he leaning into the tank, picking up his fallen friend and holding her up to his chest. Tifa's head limply sat in his upper arm.

"Oh man…not good." Yuffie peered at the long haired girl. She brushed her bangs aside and couldn't help the dour frown. "Cloud…do you think she's gonna be okay?"

_She has to be_. But the truth was, he didn't know. His blue eyes were becoming duller. "…I don't…Let's go."

"Hold it!" Cid knelt down by Cloud's feet, picking up a greenish blue appendage. "Looks like a fucking finger. Here, Valentine."

Vincent caught the body part and placed it in his pocket, "We'll discuss what to do with it back on the _Shera_."

"No we won't." Cloud was turned around, already walking back to the elevator. His boots crumbled the remaining bits of glass from fallen beakers. _Why aren't we focusing on_ _this?_ "We need to help Tifa first."

Cid patted Cloud's shoulder. "Of course we will, you prick. You're not the only son of a bitch who cares for her. Move out!"

Cloud shifted his body weight to make Tifa more comfortable. Her closed eyes were facing his body, unflinching at his proximity. _Tifa…wake up._

_

* * *

_**A/N:**

**worst day ever today. reviews would just be fantastic :/**

**bye**

**~Mira  
**


	7. Chapter 7

**A/N:**

**...AH! THANK YOU! To be honest, I wasn't really expecting people to review the last one XD oh how i love suprises!**

**The fabulous reviewers:  
**

**always-kh, kitsune13 (wow you wrote me a novel...and a lovely one at that 3), Skykhanhunter, vx-Luna-xv, and Emela.**

**thankyouthankyouthankyou my day was shit and you made it sunny again!**

back to stuff you care about:

**Disclaimer: IT'S MINE...jk.**

**

* * *

**

He was sitting by her bedside, watching her limp body sit uneasily on the mattress. _At least she's breathing now._ Cloud didn't know how long it had been. _One hour? Five?_ It didn't matter. It wasn't like he was going to leave while she was still lying there.

Tifa's left cheek was resting on the pillow, her body facing Cloud on the right side of the bed. This hanger of the _Shera_ wasn't exactly 'cozy', but it was the best Cid could offer the martial artist on such a short term basis. _We should return to Edge…get her help. _But Cid's on board medical assistant had called Tifa 'stable', much to Cloud's dislike. _How can she be stable when she can't even open her eyes?_

Her body twitched slightly, but offered no further sign of recovery. _How is this good?_

Cloud shifted in his side chair. Yuffie had been there earlier, but Vincent had dragged her out, for reasons he wouldn't mention in the blonde's presence. Cid was too busy piloting, leaving Cloud all alone with Tifa. His head faced the metal floor more often than the figure in front of him. Looking at her only made him crumble.

_I wonder if this is what it was like…_

Tifa had never spoken about it with him, never mentioned the events leading up to their fall into the Lifestream. He had Mako poisoning, and Barret said that she had stayed with him in Mideel, that she couldn't leave him alone. _Why?_ His blue eyes glanced up from the metal floor. _Is it the same reason why I can't leave you?_

The loud closing of the metal door won over Cloud's attention. The spiky blonde turned to see the curt pilot, eyeing him pityingly. "You okay?"

Cloud didn't answer, but stood up and walked towards Cid. "Who's piloting?"

The freshly blown cigarette smoke made Cloud blink. "My co-pilot." Cid held the cigarette loosely in his right hand. "If you don't mind leaving Teef here, I want to talk to you about something."

"No." Cloud figured it was about Jenova, and even though he wanted to stay by Tifa's side until she woke, he knew they still had a job to do. "What is it?"

Cid hesitated. "Out here."

_Why?_ But Cloud obliged and followed Cid into the hallway. The _Shera_ crew was in their respective work stations, making the hallway of the large airship rather vacant. But Cloud had the feeling that was exactly what Cid wanted.

The sight in front of him was a little frightening. Cid was pacing in front of him, seemingly nervous. The older man's hands were deep in his pockets, and he was muttering quietly to himself. "…Fuck, I don't know why I'm asking you about this."

Cloud just blinked, "What?"

"THIS! This damn thing!" Cid brought a small box out of his pocket and shoved it into Cloud's hands. It was a small box, black and velvet. The shape and size offered only one explanation to what could be inside. Cloud held it uncomfortably, making Cid frustrated. "Don't just stare at it like a damn idiot! Open it!"

The hinge of the box lifted easily. Cloud's eyes narrowed at the small piece of jewelry inside. The ring was classic, much to Cloud's surprise. He was sort of expecting something mechanic like, like a washer, from someone like Cid. "…is this for Shera?"

"Who the fuck else would it be for?" Cid had finally stopped pacing and looked at Cloud expectantly. "Well…what do you think?"

The younger man shrugged. "Um, it's nice."

Cid looked like he was ready to bust. His face was red, fists clenched, like he wanted to punch Cloud into the metal wall behind him. He managed to suppress this rage. "NO! Not about the damn ring! About me and Shera, you dumb shit!"

_Right._ "I can't tell you to marry her."

"I know." Cid scratched the back of his head. "I just wanna know if I'm gonna make a fucking fool of myself for asking her."

Cloud smirked a bit from the pilot's dismay. _Only if she says no. _Which could be possible. Cid had shouted, cursed, and hated Shera for a large portion of his life. _Yet Shera continued to stay with him_. His blue eyes met Cid with confidence. "I think you'll be fine." He didn't want to make a definite promise, not wholly sure on the situation himself.

But the vague statement was enough to give the pilot a slight gleam. His rough exterior seemed to be a little brighter. "You think, Cloud? Then hell with it! When we're done with this mess, I'll just ask her. No use being a damn pussy about it."

"Why didn't you do it before?" It was obvious by the state of the box and Cid's current condition that he had been thinking about this for a while.

"Life's short." Cid paused for a moment, looking away from Cloud's face, "Seeing Tifa like that…it makes a guy think, you know? Makes a guy want to fucking prioritize, to commit to something that fucking means a lot to 'em."

Cloud simply nodded. _It does._

"You're anxious to get back in there." Cid turned around and blew more smoke, "So what are you waiting for, Strife? I gotta make sure this rookie doesn't crash my baby." The pilot left the hallway as Cloud retreated back to Tifa's bedside.

* * *

"Cloud?"

He felt himself being dragged away from the current darkness.

"Cloud? You, okay?"

His blue eyes sprang open as his elbow fumbled from the chair's arm. The minor injury he suffered from the clumsy wake up was soon forgotten as his vision became clear.

There was Tifa, sitting on the edge of the bed, smiling at his current position. Her hair was messy, but other than that, she seemed exactly the same, as if the electrical shock never occurred. Her hand brushed the edge of his cheek, causing a chill to go through Cloud's face. "Sorry…I shouldn't have woken you."

Her voice alone was enough of an apology. "Tifa, you're okay."

"Were you worried?" She laughed at the question, "It's not like I've never been shocked before, Cloud." Tifa gave him a light smirk and got up from the bed, stretching her arms a bit. "You look so tired."

_I am_. "I'm fine. You should rest though. I'll go back to the …"

"I'll go with you." Tifa was already headed to the door. "You saw I had the finger, right? Did Vincent tell you what to do with it?"

"No he didn't." Cloud followed her outside. _She seems fine._ Cloud was more than happy about that. "We can ask him."

She gave a brisk nod and stepped in front of the automatic bridge door, causing it to rise at her presence. "TIFA!" Yuffie immediately ran up to her friend, giving her a strong hug. "You woke up! For a second I thought we'd have to break out the phoenix downs, but Vinnie said it would be better if you just woke up on your own."

"I'm fine, Yuffie! How's the search going?"

"It's not." Cid was at the steering wheel. "Glad to see you're okay, Teef." He flashed her a smile and returned his attention back on the air.

Cloud followed Tifa over to Vincent, who was gloomily placed against a wall. His left leg was up on the metal, arms crossed with a certain indifference. "Nice to see you awake, Tifa."

Tifa grinned at the concern, "Thanks. Vincent, what did you mean we can't destroy the Jenova parts?"

The question grabbed Vincent's interest. "I was meaning to prevent future outbreaks of Geostigma."

_Of course. _ Cloud nodded and continued for the even more reticent man, "If we destroy the Jenova parts, they'll go into the Lifestream, meaning more possible Geostigma victims." He was shaking his head. _Can you imagine if we destroyed it? How many more people would have suffered?_ Cloud silently thanked Vincent for his foresight.

"Then what are we gonna do with this stuff? I can't leave that monster in the engine room!" Cid yelled from across the bridge.

"Shinra's problem. We're just supposed to find them." Cloud tightened the gloves on his hands.

Yuffie then strolled over. "Speaking of which, where to next, chocobo head?"

The statement caught Cloud off guard. _Where would Jenova be?_ Red had said to retrace their steps from before Meteorfall, but Cloud was drawing a blank.

His lack of a response only made Yuffie grin, "Well if _you_ don't know, I may have a little idea."

Vincent cocked an eyebrow, "Where?"

The ninja just kept grinning and energetically hopped over to Cid, ready lead the way. "Leave it to me, the Great Ninja Yuffie Kisaragi!"

* * *

**A/N:**

**Yay! this one was short, but I felt the need to finish another part because of the fabulous reviews.**

**Oh! and I forgot to mention last chapter that a lot of it was from DoC. I wondered if anyone noticed....**

**And I'm curious to see where people think Yuffie wants to go next (it's actually a good idea...)**

**Reviews=love**

**bye!**

**~Mira  
**


	8. Chapter 8

**A/N: This one didn't want to end..which i guess is a good thing? Sorry for the late update...and I'm even sorrier that it's AP week...(trust me if I could change it I would), but I might not update for awhile, or I'll not care about my calc AP...we'll see.**

**Anyway Thanks to my fabulous reviewers! **

** Dagreatonion, always-kh, vx-Luna-xv, kitsune13 (you're reviews are wonderfully long...I love it), and Bluelancer (aka LOstGirlz)**

**you are all sooo wonderful :D**

**But let's see where Yuffie has led them, shall we?**

** Disclaimer: I keep wishing, but this still belongs to square.**

**

* * *

  
**

Everything was the same. Some of the white glistening trees had been cut from the battle with the remnants, but otherwise, the scenery was exactly the same as it had been over 2 years ago. This is the place where they had once fought a part of Jenova. This is where Holy was summoned. This is where she died.

The trail to the Forgotten City was a mixture of sand and dirt, swerving through small structures and fields of grass. Cloud followed his fellow companions up the path, Vincent the closest one to him. Tifa was surprisingly distant. She was further up, closing in on the large, white seashell structure jutting out of the horizon line. _She seems so much better_. Cloud paused for a moment. _Is it bad that it makes me more suspicious?_

He was used to her always being around him, but even though she had _said_ she was fine, she acted differently. _Words aren't the only thing to tell people what you're thinking_. Cloud smirked at the thought. _But I could be wrong_. _Maybe she just wants to talk to Yuffie alone._ They were currently segregated by gender: girls unhesitating and moving swiftly deeper into the city, and boys taking a seemingly sluggish pace.

_Only one way to check._ "Vincent, can you call Yuffie?"

The older man stopped and gave an involuntary twitch. "…Why?"

_Because she'll come if you call her. _ "…I think I saw her steal some of your materia."

Vincent didn't even bother to check. He raised his golden claw and yelled the ninja's name, who in turn sprinted back towards him.

Cloud waited for Tifa's reaction. The dark haired girl watched her younger friend run to the caped man, and for a second, Cloud thought she'd follow. Tifa took one step back, but then refocused on the blonde. Her deep brown eyes met his face, and she quickly turned back to the center of the city. _Shit. She is avoiding me. _

"WHAT? No Vinnie! I'd never do that to you! I mean besides that time in Wutai…and yeah on that WRO mission, but really! I can't believe you'd think that!"

Vincent narrowed his eyes, double checking his gauntlet and gun to see that Yuffie actually was telling the truth. "My apologies. Cloud said he saw you."

"Oh?" The ninja turned to Cloud, hands on her hips. "Why would you spread such viscous lies, Cloud?"

"No reason." His attention remained on the giant white structure, where Tifa was now entering. "Stay here." Cloud found himself running forward to the building. His fast pace allowed him to easily catch up with Tifa. She was staring at a familiar looking hole, centered inside the ethereal building.

Tifa turned and looked at Cloud hesitantly. "The staircase is gone." She paused and bit her lip, "What now?"

Cloud walked up next to her, only to see her inch away a little. "We keep looking." He touched her arm in an attempt to get her to come closer. "You sure you're okay, Tifa?"

She managed a smile, "I've been frozen, electrocuted, burned, and who knows what else. I'm perfectly okay."

_Liar._ "No you're not."

Tifa paused from walking forward and swiftly turned around, "Excuse me?"

The tension in the air was already present, only increasing Cloud's hesitance, something he didn't think possible. Yet, he found himself walking closer to the withdrawing martial artist. He wanted to confront it. "Why are you walking away?"

"I don't want to talk about it."

Cloud kept following, "Tifa…"

"Stop, Cloud." Tifa spun around to face the blonde. Her face looked frantic, yet firm, earning an instantaneous yield from him. "Not here. Please not here." She turned around again. "You keep so much from me…don't I deserve the same level of privacy?"

"It's just…it's not like you to hide things."

Tifa scoffed, "It isn't?"

Cloud shook his head, "Not important things. You always tell me to open up, to face my problems with you." He was right behind her again, "I'm just asking for you to do the same."

"Because you've really opened up a whole lot." Tifa's sarcasm stung hard. Yes, he hadn't been the most open, even after her pleas, but he was trying. He couldn't help keeping some things from her. It was for the best that she didn't get involved with some of his thoughts. _But she's not trying to protect me. _ That was perfectly clear. _She's mad._

Tifa continued, "When are we going to talk about what happened? About Zack, about Geostigma, …about Aerith? When are we going to talk about u--"

The rustle of fabric cut her off. "Later." Vincent's deep voice interrupted Tifa's plea. The martial artist turned red at the approach of her three friends, eyeing the door with a new fascination.

"I---I didn't see you, Vincent." She pushed her bangs back nervously, "Let's go." Her gaze once again strayed from Cloud's image and turned back towards the rest of the building.

"The water flows from down there to the pool outside. If it is here, I think it would be out there," Vincent replied casually, either oblivious or tactful enough not to acknowledge the awkwardness.

The ninja was smiling gleefully, proud that he seemed fond of her idea of ere Jenova might be. "Come on, Vinnie!" Yuffie, Vincent, Tifa, and Cid walked back out of the room, memories seeming raw and harsh.

And in any other situation or place, Cloud wouldn't have let it slide. He would have insisted that Tifa stay there with him and explain what was eating away at her. Or at least he liked to believe that's what he'd do. _ There's still the mission._ Cloud took his first step towards the door.

That time…that day when Aerith was killed, it was a memory he would never be rid of.

* * *

_Flash._

His hands jerked violently to the sword on his back. _WHAT?!_ His body twitched to the left, to the right, but his control was lost. He soon found the Buster Sword's hilt in his hand, rising at the small figure in front of him. _No…no…STOP. _But his body didn't obey.

Muscles convulsing, his blade was moving higher and higher over the girl's head, threatening to come thrashing down at any moment. _NO! NO!_ He saw his arms moving. It was him doing it…but he couldn't believe it. _STOP! DON'T! _ But the internal pleas seemed useless. His body wasn't reacting.

_STOP!!_

No reaction.

_I lov—_

"CLOUD!"

The familiar voice broke the trance. Cloud blinked away the confusion, leaving the sword to fall peacefully to the side. It was her that called him then, her that broke Sephiroth's hold on his mind. But he could only focus on who was in front of him, not the girl behind. _Aerith…_

He watched her there. She was lost in concentration, barely noticing that he was inches away from cutting her down. He watched her eyes remaining closed, her breathing even and light, thinking about who knows what. The folds of her light pink dress contrasted deeply with the utter grey of the cavern, offering a tranquil palate in the otherwise gloomy space. His now lucid blue eyes seemed to outline the shadows they cast, the way her hair twisted in the front, and the eternal confidence her face beamed. It was if, somewhere, he knew he wouldn't see her like that again, he knew something was going to happen…

He watched as the blade came crying down from the sky, slicing smoothly through her abdomen and tearing through the fabric. The amount of blood was surprisingly minimal, but the result was still there. Aerith was dead, killed by a madman motivated by blood.

_No…_He shook his head and fell down, crumpling from the sight. _This…this can't be happening._ He cradled her gently in his arms, eyes shrouding over the gash and then at the man standing above them. _Sephiroth…_

* * *

The blood was gone now, as was her body. He had laid her into the surrounding water where she dissipated into the Lifestream. But the memory was there. The memory would always be. _And Jenova is too._ He was resisting the feelings of guilt and despair that would usually occupy his thoughts. Cloud was relieved to find the right amount of sadness, enough to show his emotion for the great loss of his friend, but not overwhelming grief. He glanced at his arm, noting the lack of pink ribbon. _Jenova…Jenova's here. _

"What made you want to come here, Yuffie?" Tifa's voice was solemn. Cloud wasn't sure if it was from their last conversation or the memories the place held. He convinced himself it was the latter, it had to be. _Tifa and her were friends. _Although he wasn't exactly sure how true that statement was, he didn't want to think that it was something _he_ had done to make her sound so grim.

Yuffie turned from her lead, looking at Tifa with a glimmer of indignation. "Um, duh. We fought Jenova here, remember? And unlike all those other times, I think we did a pretty sloppy job."

"What do you mean?" Vincent asked, truly curious.

She was grateful to answer. "Well, Vinnie, I think the fact that are friend was just freaking murdered may have had some impact on our, um, mental state. Don't ya think, chocobo head?"

The blonde only nodded in response, looking at his murky reflection over the edge of the sandy shore.

"Anyways, we didn't even notice Holy being summoned!"

Tifa blinked, "It was just a small glowing piece of materia."

"EXACTLY!" Yuffie jumped, "Don't you think _I_ would notice falling materia? Falling, _glowing_ materia? And if I didn't notice that, I think some piece of Jenova may have slipped by…" She was walking towards the end of the shoreline, looking through the waves of water. "See anything, Cloud?"

"No." He shook his head. His Mako eyes pulsed through the calm surface, but saw nothing right away. "I'll check." He slid down easily into the pool, the overall feeling of the water flooding him with emotion he thought he'd never experience again. He cupped a handful of the crystal clear liquid delicately, letting it slide through the ends of his fingers and in between his palms. Cloud shivered at the sudden similarity. The cooling liquid, lapping against his chest, it was all too like the moment he was in the pool with Denzel in Aerith's church. _Stop, focus. _ He glanced back at his friends, noticing Tifa's unrelenting stare. _She has to stop worrying about me._ Cloud sifted through the waves. _I'm fine…_

The orb was small, probably unnoticeable to anyone who hadn't been injected with Mako and Jenova cells. It was faintly green, not glowing, but still releasing a light mint glimmer in the stream of blue. Cloud sank down, kneeling in the rocky terrain underwater, and brought the small piece of materia up to the surface. _Holy. _He had the urge to throw it, to watch it disappear into the unknown water once again. But his grip remained tight. Cloud pocketed the little orb, away from Yuffie's notice.

Cloud kept trudging through the pool, scanning the surrounding ruthlessly for any sign of the alien. He was chilled, bones becoming frozen, when he saw the book-sized hunk of flesh within a pile of rocks. "It's here!"

"Get it out!" He heard Cid's voice call.

And soon enough, he was rummaging through the rock, pulling out the calamity. _Ugh._ It felt awful. Like soggy bread mixed with a dead monster's flesh. Cloud put on his now wet leather gloves, happy to get the messy object on those rather than his bare hands.

"Great job, Strife." Cid made a grimace at the baggage he held. "We'll…uh, put it with the other bits on the _Shera_. Then I'm heading back the Edge…Got some um, business to attend to." The pilot huffed off quickly down the road, seemingly anxious.

_I wonder if he's asking her now?_ Cloud's smirk fell as he looked down at his hands, the disgusting chunk of alien killing his mood. Yuffie hopped off with Vincent calmly strolling behind Cid. Cloud walked out of the pool, surprised Tifa was still standing by him.

"You did well." Her smile was ethereal. "It must be hard to go back in there." Tifa turned on her heel, something hitting her hard at that moment. He watched her walk up the path, through the city destroyed years and years before, feeling suddenly lost. The materia was pulsing in his pocket, and he brought it back out to the light.

"Cloud."

His mouth fell as he turned to the voice. Aerith was there again, but not in a dingy airship room. She was standing on the edge of the shore, right in front of him. Her pale hand delicately touched his shoulder, making him jolt up. "Aerith." It sounded more like a release of air than her name.

"Cloud, you know what to do."

_I do?_

She smiled, "You do." Aerith touched his hand, closing it over the green materia. "She's waiting."

* * *

**A/N:**

**So math AP or writing? Such hard choices..ugh. Review guys! I'm seeing like, 2 more chapters after this one (which means I need another idea soon, sigh.) and I adore all of the motivation you guys give.**

**Oh! and happy bday Tifa XD  
**


	9. Chapter 9

**A/N: Yay no more APs or actual school work! Which means I updated, yay!**

**Thanks to my beloved reviwers. You are truly amazing, wonderful, fabulous people (excuse the overly happy mood XD)!**

**alwayskh, Bluelancer (the real LOstGirlZ), and vx-Luna-xv ahhh to you all!  
**

**Disclaimer: FF isn't mine. sigh.  
**

* * *

"TIFA!"

The shriek cut the air of the bar quickly, gathering all of Cloud's attention, even though it wasn't his name. The small girl ran forward, hugging the taller, older woman harshly. Her small bow was still neatly nestled in her light brown hair, bobbing up and down at her giddy nature. "Tifa! I'm so glad you're back!"

Tifa knelt down, "How are you, Marlene?"

"Awful!" The girl pouted. "Denzel told Shera that I wanted pancakes, but I really wanted waffles and then he took my moogle and put it in Cloud's room. And he knows I can't go in there because Cloud will get mad. And, you never called!"

The last remark made Tifa's face become white, "…Oh, Marlene. I'm sorry. There was just so much we had to handle." The hug was tightened. "Please forgive me."

"Alright." Marlene let go of Tifa, letting the older woman stand. "But I want my moogle."

"Cloud will let you in." Tifa glanced back to the blonde standing in the doorframe. "Won't he?"

He nodded, and the little girl sped off into the hallway. There were pans in the sink, a sight weird to see when Tifa was around, but Shera had kept the bar relatively clean otherwise. The woman herself was entering the room. "Hello." She was already placing a pot of tea on the stove. "You were successful?"

"Of course we were, Shera! What'd you fucking expect?" Cid plopped down on the bar counter, extinguishing his cigarette in an ash tray. "Green this time…please." His voice became less gruff, and by the look Shera gave him, it was obvious she took notice to his attempt at being polite. Cid peered back at Cloud, who only offered him an amused grin.

"CLOUD!" It was his turn to be attacked. Denzel came running across the bar, colliding with the fazed man. "You're back! Finally! Did you fight any monsters? Did Sephiroth come back? Were there any remnants?"

"No…" His awkward stance soon vanished, and he found himself patting the top of Denzel's head. "Everything quiet here?"

Denzel smirked, "As quiet as it can get with Marlene here." The grip around Cloud's waist loosened as the young boy realized how he was acting, "Glad that you guys are back!" He gave Tifa a slight nod and ran back to his room.

"Soo tired, Teef!" Yuffie slumped down next to Cid, followed by a more graceful Vincent. "What do you say we celebrate now?"

The older woman didn't seem too keen on the proposal. "We still need to come up with a way to get rid of…it." Her choice of words was careful now that she was around children again.

"We should see Reeve." Vincent immediately responded.

_But this isn't WRO. _ And Cloud didn't want to risk being assigned on _another_ mission if he went to the WRO headquarters. He wanted to stay home. He wanted to finally start a relatively calmer life. "No, Rufus. He's the one who asked for this. It's his problem now." Cloud was already heading back to the door, "We'll go to him now."

"NOW?!" Yuffie practically fell off the stool. "No way! I'm tired and hungry and I didn't even find any new materia on this mission. I am staying right here!"

Cloud only shrugged at the ninja and looked to Cid. "…Mind if I stay with the punk? I need to, uh, settle some business." The vagueness of Cid's comment was enough of an explanation to Cloud. He couldn't decline his request.

"I'm not accustomed to Fenrir." Vincent lowly replied. The caped man didn't offer any further clarification.

There was only one left now, and she didn't seem too eager to accompany him either. Tifa combed her bangs back, looking briefly at Cloud and then to Shera. "We'll be back soon, Shera. I hope you don't mind watching them again?"

She shook her head no and went off to tell the children.

Tifa straightened the gloves on her fists and swiftly went to the door. "Let's get this over with, Cloud."

--

Fenrir was waiting quietly outside of the Seventh Heaven, its black exterior newly polished and the side chambers empty of any part of the First Tsurugi. Cloud offered his goggles to Tifa, but she automatically declined the request. Maybe his back blocked all the dust from her anyway? But he had a feeling that wasn't completely true. Tifa always looked out for him, even now, when she was acting weirdly.

Cloud attached a small cart to the back of Fenrir, placing the Jenova infused carcasses inside with a thick cloth over it. He mounted the bike, and Tifa got on behind him. Her hands first loosely grasped his side, but then tightened as he turned on the bike and accelerated. He smirked at her reaction, feeling a sudden rush from the wind and her presence behind him.

_Now._ It was an opportune time. He was going at least 80 mph. There was no escape. He only hoped that she could hear him. "You're still mad!" His usual calm voice was now roaring over the sound of Fenrir's engine.

"…What?" The slight pause indicated that she heard him.

"YOU…" _This is stupid._ Cloud slowed down the bike, sending Tifa back a bit from the sudden stop. He took off the goggles and got off Fenrir.

Tifa looked at him, a tad dumbfounded. They were in the middle of nowhere, the limbo between the developing Edge and the demolished Midgar. She stayed on the motorcycle. "Did you ask if I'm mad at you?" Her voice had true concern in it.

Cloud almost wanted to take back his statement. This Tifa now looked confused and innocent, not angry. "…you…you seemed to be."

She scoffed and looked down. "I'm not angry!" The tone of her voice proved otherwise. Tifa realized this and looked back up to his face. "Look, I'm just…" She shook her head. "I'm not good at talking."

"And I'm better?" Cloud had to smile. He knew Tifa wasn't exactly the most _open_ but she was practically a bleeding heart compared to him.

"no…I'm just…" Tifa's eyes were piercing. "I'm annoyed."

_Annoyed? At what? _"…at me?"

"Yes, at you, Cloud!" She sighed and let her head rest down. "…you protect me and always look out for my best interests."

Cloud blinked, "I do." _Is that a bad thing?_

"And yet you…you don't…" Tifa's grip tightened. "Forget it!" She was fuming with frustration. "Let's go. Please, let's just go, Cloud. Don't worry about it."

_How can I not?_

She seemed to read his thoughts as he mounted in front of her. "There's nothing to worry about."

_What don't I do?_ The wind was brushing his cheeks again, sending waves of cold through his muscles. The answer hit him as soon as he saw the building Rufus usually held his 'business'. _She wants me to tell her doesn't she?_ He was surprised at how that brought dread to his mind.

Tifa coolly left the bike with the smile, letting Cloud follow easily behind her. "Come on! This is almost over with!"

He found himself admiring her easiness now. A façade, sure, but it still seemed to calm down his tumultuous insides. _You have to do it…but maybe not now? Maybe one day? _Cloud greeted Rude calmly as he opened the door, giving a sincere smile as he saw both Elena and Tseng sitting at a desk, looking healthy again. _You can do it later, later…_

"Well, well. Look what we have here, yo!" Reno gave Tifa a quick glance and then walked over to the 'ex-SOlDIER'. "Let's see what you have!"

Cloud shook his head, "We need to talk to Rufus."

The red haired Turk opened his mouth to protest, but was soon silenced by the sound a man walking into the room. His face was still slightly bandaged, but the former president of Shinra still had a much more healthy appearance than his former wheel-chaired bounded self. "What could you possibly need?" His voice didn't sound angry, more inconvenienced.

"The Jenova remains can't be destroyed." Tifa said. "It could cause even more outbreaks of Geostigma."

His eyes widened, all too familiar with the disease himself. "Then we have no choice but to keep them." His face seemed burdened. "You have to understand…all that Shinra did to Gaia, I feel obligated to help it heal."

"And remedy yourself from guilt?" Cloud grunted. "Nice try. We did all of your work."

The comment didn't seem to have too negative effect on Rufus, surprisingly. "Which would have happened without my intervention?" He smirked at the lack of a retort. "It seems though we will never be rid completely of it though." Rufus thought. "We'll lock it up then, where no one can get to it. Far away and under my surveillance. Elena, Tseng, please take the Jenova parts away from Cloud."

"There outside by Fenrir." Tifa explained to the leaving Turks. She eyed the president again. "You can afford that kind of surveillance?"

Rufus smiled again, "Shinra was very rich in gil. Even after its collapse."

"Then there are other ways you can help Gaia." She softly grinned and started to head back towards the door.

Cloud had more to say. "You have to make sure no one gets to it, ever." His words sounded like a partial threat.

"Of course. I hid the head well enough for some time, didn't I?" His cocky voice died off at Cloud's gaze. "It will be guarded heavily. No one will know of its existence, let alone whereabouts."

Cloud only nodded, not being able to think of any better situation to the problem. He left Shinra with the remains of Jenova, walking away from that part of his life hopefully for the last time. He supposed a part of him should have been wary at giving Shinra, once his enemy, something so potentially dangerous. But Rufus, although cocky and ethically inept, did make something obvious to Cloud. He felt obligated to help Gaia, obligated to do something to cure a situation he felt he had caused. Cloud knew how that felt and knew Rufus would keep his word.

Tifa was already on the bike, looking at the sunset beaming across the horizon line. "May we never have to deal with them again, Cloud."

"Not like this at least."

She turned away from the orange sky to look at him. Her face had the same old warmth to it, the way it did before they had started the mission. "Yes, not like this." Tifa edged her way further down the bike, offering Cloud more room. "Can we go home?"

Cloud nodded and went back in front of her. "Of course."

* * *

**A/N: I was gonna proofread, but then I got sleepy, so any corrections on like typos and stuff are immensly appreciated (I will edit). But, hey, who am I kidding? Any comments are immensely appreciated! I think I only have one part left after this! ...ugh. But I actually have an epilogue planned for this one, yay!**

**Oh, and anyone with any future story ideas, please don't hesitate to give me some direction (thank you Bluelancer...err LOstGirlz). Even if it may not seem like my thing, you never know. Writer's block is hell.**

**byebye!**

**~Mira  
**


	10. Chapter 10

**A/N:**

**Special-super-duper-awesome thanks to my reviewers: ****always-kh, Skykhanhunter, and vx-Luna-xv. You are deeply loved.  
**

**Last real chapter.... I don't even know what to say.**

**Oh wait, I do. I really suggest reading _On the way to a Smile: Case of Tifa_ before reading this. It'll make the following events make a mot more sense. Just google and POOF legit literature from the ffvii creators!**

**and now for the not-so legit literature:**

**Disclaimer:...I don't know why I have to keep saying. It only makes me sad...FF7 isn't mine.**

**

* * *

  
**

It was night when the two finally arrived back at the Seventh Heaven. The clouds were blanketing the sky, letting the full pale moon peep through the mist every so often. The atmosphere around them was practically chilling. Every so often the wind would calmly move by, blowing through the trees and creating shadows in the night.

The structure became one of full comfort to the hero now. Cloud looked upon the bar with a sense of pride, a sense of _belonging_. He loved it there, loved the counter, the creaking steps, the children's room, Tifa's décor. He loved everything about the place. But even so he felt timid walking up to it now. His mission with Jenova was now completed. One of his nightmares was banished for good, yet he still felt scared. _There's nothing to be afraid of._

But he still felt it. It was crippling him, making his body tight with anticipation. His boots fell hard on the wooden steps leading up to the entranceway. Tifa was trailing behind him, still slightly dazed from the ride.

His swift movements made him believe for a second that he was avoiding her. But he didn't mean to. She was his sole focus for now, but ironically, he couldn't _think_ about her and be around her at the same time. Not at this exact moment at least. He needed to think rationally, get his mind straight, and having her around him certainly did not help that.

"They're all asleep." Tifa looked around the bar curiously, grinning at the two wine glasses on the counter, one half full. "And what's this?" She inspected the glass closely.

Cloud walked over to her, equally curious and slightly eager for a distraction. "I don't…" but the scene became clear. Next to the glasses and empty container of wine was a small familiar looking box, a box for a ring. "He did it." Cloud smiled slyly.

"What?" Tifa followed his eyes and picked up the box. "Cloud…this looks like a…what happened?" Her voice was filled with curiosity.

"I think Cid proposed to Shera."

The response from Tifa was unsettlingly. "WHAT? Really?" She looked down at the box with new esteem. "I can't believe it!"

"Shh." Cloud took the box and set it back down on the counter. "Everyone's asleep, right?"

Tifa's cheeks were unusually red, "Right…it's just. Wow, they lived together for so long and now this?"

That statement hit Cloud a little. "…I guess things happen when you're with someone for so long." He helped Tifa put the glasses in the nearby sink, throwing the empty bottle of wine in the recycle.

Tifa was already wiping down the table, "Only sometimes. You can't expect it."

"Expect what?"

"Expect something to happen. The attraction has to be there, doesn't it?" Her eyes looked up from the counter for a brief moment. "You can't just slam two people together and _expect_ something will happen. They both need to want it."

_They do…_ It made his stomach turn. _Does she want it?_ Aerith's materia was still in his pocket. He felt it tug at his sides. _You'll never know, Cloud. You'll never know unless you ask her._ She threw the rag into the sink and calmly stretched her arms behind her back, releasing a yawn. She turned to him, her face tired. "I'm gonna turn in, okay? I'll see you in the morning, Cloud."

_Say it._ "Tifa!" His voice was somewhat sharp.

She turned quickly, "Yes, Cloud?"

_Say it!_ His grip tightened, creating sweat on the back of his hands. "…goodnight."

Tifa smiled back, "Goodnight, Cloud."

_DAMN!_ He dropped his boots by the front door and headed off towards the hallway. _I can't just say it? Can I? Why the hell not?_ Cloud felt immensely angry with himself. It was what he felt; he wanted to say it. But he was a mess. He never could express clearly what he was feeling, and his actions were only sad attempts at explaining his mind. It was becoming annoying. His hand reached the cold surface of the door knob. _Next time. I'll do it next time. _ He slowly opened the door and began to walk in when he suddenly stopped himself. There was already a figure in the bed. Pointed boots were on the floor along with a deep red cape. _Vincent?_

Cloud sighed. He _at least_ wanted to sleep in his own bed after his failure before. But he didn't want to wake Vincent up, seeing that the man's gun was resting nowhere in the dark room.

He had no choice but to close the door behind him and retreat back to the couch. The black leather sofa was comfortable, at least from what he remembered from the few times he fell asleep right after work, but Cloud was, to say the least, pissed. He was tired with Jenova and missions. The responsibilities he had for Gaia were making him exhausted, stretching him thin. He had the courage and strength to deal with those, but he couldn't even solve his more personal dilemmas. _Why?_ He pulled out the sectional and grabbed one of the side pillows. Cloud unhooked some of his leather belts and shoulder armor and fell on the bed. _Don't I owe it to myself? No…don't I owe it to her?_

It was just when he felt the shiver start to crawl through his back when he sensed the soft comforter fall over his body. He sprung up from the gentle impact, wondering who could have snuck up on him like that. His Mako eyes met Tifa's face, slight embarrassment evident from his reaction.

She backed away, looking regretful. "I'm sorry I woke you…just thought you'd be cold."

"I was…" Cloud stood up, feeling awkward at his reclining state. "Thanks."

Tifa smiled. "Is Vincent sleeping in your room?"

He nodded, "It's okay…I can sleep here."

"I wonder where I should sleep then." She continued, seeing his confused expression, "Yuffie took mine, and the guest bedroom is locked."

Cloud furrowed his eyebrows, "Why?" To be honest, he forgot that the guest bedroom was an option.

"Well the airship's still here." Tifa paused and added another throw pillow on top of Cloud's makeshift bed. She laughed, "Meaning so are Cid and Shera."

…_OH. _ "Then take the couch."

Tifa shook her head fervently, "And let you sleep on the floor? No, Cloud."

"But I can't let _you_ sleep on the floor either." His expression was even. He removed the stacked pillows and placed one on the right. "It's technically a double bed." _I can't believe I'm suggesting this._

Tifa seemed partially stunned for a moment, but was soon nodding her head. "…Alright." She moved to the opposite side of the couch lowering her self down slowly. Her back was facing Cloud when she silently removed her leather vest and placed it on the floor. She was left in her white tank top and black shorts by the time she was finished. "Thanks."

* * *

_Do I enjoy torturing myself?_

Her tight breathing was entirely distracting him, making him completely incapable of sleeping. All he could think about was her, about what he should be saying right now, about what could be _happening_ if he just opened his mouth. It had to be some hours later from his initial attempt at sleep, and a quick glance at the clock confirmed it. It was 3:40 now, and Cloud would have to wait at least a few more hours before it would be acceptable for him to get up.

_She's warm._ This became especially apparent during the partially cold night. The light comforter did not offer much shelter, but her body heat was radiating through his skin, melting all relaxing thought. It almost made him forget his exhaustion.

Cloud had to admit. He would be an insomniac if it meant sleeping with Tifa by his side. _But both would be nice_. He closed his light blue eyes for the thousandth time. _Just relax. Focus on sleep. Sleep, not Tifa. Sleep. _

It was futile. Cloud's eyes popped open again, but he refused to give up. _I can't just lay here. Just try. Maybe if I act like I'm asleep, I'll eventually **be**__ asleep._ His breathing became low and deep, on the brink of a soft snore. The rhythm of his breathe was soothing, making him believe that this method might actually be working.

....

"Cloud?"

He ignored the voice, thinking it to be nothing but mere hallucinations of someone overly sleep deprived.

"I know you're asleep." It was a soft whisper, so low that it was barely comprehensible. He felt the weak mattress of the couch move from the shifting weight behind him. The voice continued in a trembling murmur, "...do you love me?"

His breathe caught suddenly in his throat, but he released it easily. _A dream._ He repeated to himself. It _had_ to be. He couldn't have just heard that. _Why would she say that_? He only wanted her to say it, hence the illusion.

Yet it was continuing. He felt her move further away from him almost to the edge of the bed. "…Ridiculous. How many times have I asked you that?" Her voice fell. "Yet only when I know you can't really hear me…" She sighed and pulled the covers up. "…yet I wonder if you do. I wonder if all that you do for me…is it out of love? Or do you…do you feel you have to?"

Cloud could barely keep his breathing even. _This isn't a dream…_ What Tifa was saying was real. She was really awake, asking him if he loved her. His body was suddenly flushed. His breathing was more rapid, hurried even. _She loves me?_ He focused on the uplifting thought, but that made him only more overheated.

She said no more, and her breathing once again became slow.

_No fear. _

Cloud turned to face Tifa's back. Before any conflicting thought came to mind he leaned over her body, mouth resting right above her ear. _What to say?_ He paused and went back a bit. _Say what you think_. The word came out easily now, like water suddenly rushing from the edge of the cliff. "Yes."

This sudden sound stirred the girl up. Cloud had backed up now, not wanting to hover over her while she was waking. Tifa stood up completely, looking at her friend with sudden fear. "What?" It came out fumbled.

"Yes." Cloud repeated, not knowing what else he could say.

She looked at him doubtfully, "…I don't understand." She tugged at her bangs and then looked at his face. "Yes to what?"

Cloud moved in, "Your question." He smiled. "The answer is yes."

"But…"

He couldn't take it anymore. He pushed the martial artist back on the bed and fell on top of her, crashing his lips on her own. Whatever initial resistance Tifa had soon fell flat. She grabbed the back of his blonde hair, tugging him closer, sending waves of joy throughout Cloud.

The loss of breathe forced Cloud to pull away, reluctantly. He laced his fingers through her hair, eyeing her delicately. "I should have told you."

She only smiled, "It doesn't matter."

Cloud kissed her again, somewhat stronger, as if the first kiss had ignited an unrelenting blaze. "I do feel responsible for you, Tifa."

It was her turn to pull away, somewhat offended, "What do you mean?"

He backed a bit away from her, realizing how it may have sounded. "No…I mean…I have to take care of you…because I…because I love you."

The force of her body colliding with his almost knocked him off the couch. He caught her and pressed his hand against her head, leaning over his shoulder. "…wow." She murmured and kissed him again. The gentle kiss unexpectedly stopped short, much to Cloud's displeasure. "…we can't steal their thunder."

_What? _ "Tifa…" Cloud was leaning in again, unsatisfied.

"No! I mean it, Cloud! Cid and Shera are engaged! We can't steal their moment." She pushed the man away and moved back to her respective side.

Cloud sighed silently, "I doubt they'd mind…"

But she was resilient. "We'll just have to wait a while."

"Wait?" Cloud wasn't too fond of the idea. _Haven't we been waiting long enough?_

"Just a while." She smirked coyly. "Just in public."

Cloud moved his hand across her waist and then finally recoiled. "Then now what?"

"Goodnight, Cloud."

He frowned a bit, but nodded, respecting her wish. His mind felt easy now, he had to admit. He could now let the overwhelming desire to sleep take over his body and mind.

But her soft lips slowly found its way to his again. "This isn't a dream?" She whispered smoothly.

He gently grazed her cheek, "No, Tifa." He kissed her softly and said goodnight. _It's something better._

_

* * *

_**A/N:**

**One day I'll avoid corny endings...but until then this is it. An epilogue is in the works, my friends, and most likely a sequel...but we'll see what direction my mind wants to wander...**

**Thank you thank you thank you for following this story :)It means a lot that people like it...and actually spend their time reading something I wrote...THANKS!**

**byebye for now!**

**~Mira  
**


	11. Chapter 11

**A/N:**

**So this is my short little epilogue that I made for this story. I just thought it kind of fitted somehow...**

**um I hope you like it! And thanks to all my reviewers for the last part! I would write your names, but that would mean losing all of the editing I did (because I fail at planning ahead). I hope you don't mind. You're still wonderful!**

**Disclaimer: yup, not mine.  
**

* * *

The air always seemed clearer out here for some reason. Even its proximity to Midgar didn't seem to adulterate the pure feeling of the surrounding atmosphere. He walked forward slowly, scraping the ground harshly with his boots. The settling dust didn't bother him either. It was nice here. _A perfect place._

He glanced deeply at the metal sword, crookedly stabbing the ground, yet still towering high above the surrounding foliage and rocks. It looked abandoned, almost forgotten. But that was the opposite of its intention. _Zack…_

His friend…his best friend was gone from this world, long gone, and Cloud wondered if he even knew how much he had given him. Not only the sword, which now stood in front of him, but his drive, his courage. Zack had saved his life. Zack had given the chance to start over.

The sword was not simply dropped here. It was a mark of what Zack did for him, for Gaia. It was a monument to his friend, so that any passerby to Edge would see that he existed. That something terrible had happened here. He didn't want Zack to reside only in his memory.

He saw his pocket glow a faint green. _This…it belongs here._

Kneeling down, Cloud carefully dug in front of the buster sword, creating a small but relatively deep hole. His gloved hand reached for his pocket and pulled out the shining, marble sized orb. He dropped the materia gently in the hole, covering it up slowly and patting the soil down in caution.

_Aerith…_

He half-expected her to come, to ask him what he was doing, why he was bothering getting his clothes dirty with such a silly action. But there was no such visit. The wind only whistled by, creating swirls of dust and rolling pebbles along the ground.

Cloud stood up and walked back towards Fenrir, looking back at the sword silently. He had no words to say. And somehow, that was enough.

* * *

**A/N:**

**I know, short. But I will get back to writing other stuff very soon. But would you guys want me to get started on a sequel or something else? Just send a PM or let me know somehow...**

**bye guys!**

**~Mira  
**


End file.
